


Ten Ways To Say I Love You

by visheretowrite



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: AU, AUs, Alternate Universe, Death, F/M, Love, Sadness, different atories, kiss, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7990861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/visheretowrite/pseuds/visheretowrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one shots and AUs based on Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

1800 meters. 6000 feet. A little over a mile. 

That's how deep the Grand Canyon was. That’s how much her heart broke. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In my world, every heartbreak, every time someone loses hope in love, it leaves a physical reminder on the surface of the Earth. When it's someone you thought you loved, it cracks. Just a little. When you lose a love that’s been with you for over fifty years, it chasms. 

So what happened to me? What caused my heart to break so badly that it caused the largest canyon in America? 

This isn’t a story with a happy ending. It’s not where the boy gets the girl, and they live happily ever after. It started when we were twelve years old.

The first time Percy Jackson and I met, we hated each other. Loathed each other. Annoyed each other to no end.

This is how our story begins. 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Age 12

I was walking through the hallway when I crashed into the lockers, too focused on my book to pay attention. 

I stooped down to pick my stuff up, and another hand reached down to help me. I looked up to see a boy with messy black hair and green eyes helping me pick my stuff up. 

He scoffed, “Watch where you’re going, bookworm. Don’t want to get hurt with all the books you carry around.”

I ripped my stuff out of his hands. “I was going to say thank you, but forget it. Anyone who disrespects people like that doesn’t deserve it.” 

His green eyes flashed with anger and he dropped my stuff in my arms, saying, “Don’t make too many assumptions of people, bookworm. It’s not a good thing to do.” As he walked off, I rolled my eyes and continued on with my day. The first day of school is always daunting. 

I entered my history classroom, the gleaming desks and clean sheets of syllabus paper laid out in perfect formation. I took a seat near the front, hoping to learn as much as I could. Not twenty seconds after I walked in, the boy with the black hair and green eyes entered the room. As soon as we spotted each other, anger rose up inside of me.   
His eyes darkened, and he stalked to the back of the room with his friends. He didn't exactly strike me as some guy who was excited to be in school. But then again, what guy was? 

When the class was over, I stepped out of the room and headed to lunch. There I saw the boy again, with his friends. 

I walked up to him, and said, “Don’t ever call me a bookworm again, ok? Making assumptions about people isn’t good.” 

He said, “I wasn't disrespecting you, bookworm. Or making assumptions. I just noticed how many books you were carrying! Sorry if that makes me a criminal.” 

I stomped my foot. “God, you’re so annoying!” I said. 

He grinned. “I try to be. What’s your name?” He asked me.

“Annabeth. Annabeth Chase.” 

His smile only grew. “Pleasure to meet you, Annabeth Chase. I’m Percy. Percy Jackson.” 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

How did we ever become friends, let alone fall for each other? 

Beats me. 

All I know is that one day, Percy stopped being my enemy and became my best friend. And I fell for him. Harder than I had fallen for anyone ever before.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………  
Age 16

Percy and I were walking through the mall, out on another fun trip with each other. In the four years since we had met, and become friends, I had fallen in love with him.

I couldn’t tell him. I wasn’t going to risk our friendship. 

“Annabeth, why do you want to go to the bookstore again?” Percy complained. “Every time we come here that’s the only place where you want to go?” He looked at me with those baby seal eyes and I burst out laughing. 

“Percy, you know I love to read! Come on! It’ll only be for a short while!”

“That’s what you said last time and we almost ended up getting locked in the store because it was getting so late.” Percy grumbled. 

I laughed and dragged his hand along. Finally giving in, he threw his arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the store. My breath hitched and my heartbeat sped up. God, I sound so cliche. 

I wished Percy and I were more than friends. I wished it more than anything else, except for the desire to keep our friendship intact. As we walked, we teased each other, laughing. 

An old woman stopped us on our way to the store and said, “I just wanted to say, you two make the most lovely couple! It’s so nice to see true love these days.”

She winked at me. “You got yourself a keeper there, girlfriend. Wish there had been people looking like him when I was your age.” 

She walked away, leaving our faces beet red. I could barely look at Percy anymore, and I suddenly didn’t want to go to the bookstore anymore. 

“Wow, eccentric grandma, huh?” I weakly chuckled. Percy didn’t respond, and just looked at me with a strange expression on his face. 

I sighed. “Come on Perce. Let’s just go home.”

The ride home was so awkward. Neither Percy or I said a single word the entire time. I think we were too much in shock at what that lady had said to even think about talking to one another. 

Finally, we reached my house.

“Percy, about what that lady said, I just want you to know you’re still my best -” He cut me off.

“Annabeth, that’s just the thing!” He yelled. “I don't want to be just your best friend!” 

He ran a hand through his hair. “Just let me get this out before you say anything.” 

“Annabeth, the moment you and I met, I knew you were different. You didn't take any of my crap, and you annoyed me to no end. But I met you. And I fell for you. Gods Annabeth, I’ve loved you almost every day since we were twelve. I can't stop thinking about you. I’m yours. Seeing you with other guys, dating other guys, it broke my heart, year after year, but if it made you happy, than what more could I ask for?” He shrugged.

“You were my best friend. You still are my best friend. But I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted us to be something more. I’m charming, but I can't charm the one girl I want. I can’t have the one girl who’ll have my heart forever. The only girl who can put up with me. The only girl who made sense of me. I’ll love you forever, Annabeth, but I’ll never be with you. I'm so lucky to have had the privilege to love you. I’ll never love anyone else the same way. You stole my heart and set it on fire.” He turned away. 

I sat there, my jaw hitting the floor. This whole time, I thought he only saw me as a friend. As just Annabeth. Not his Annabeth. 

“Percy, I have something to say.” He turned towards me. 

“I’ve loved you for almost as long as you’ve loved me. Almost every day of my life since we’ve met I’ve struggled with my feelings for you, because they’re so overpowering sometimes. I met you, I hated you, I fell for you, and I could never have you. Whenever you’d talk about your dates with those girls, it felt like my heart was shattering. I’d always hoped you’d notice me, and realize how head over heels in love with you I was. I’ve always been Annabeth. Just Annabeth. Never anything more, and I’ve always wished that you would see how much I love and need you. Gods, Percy.” 

I turned away, tears dripping down my face. “Percy, I’m a better person around you. I’ve changed. You’ve made me into a better person. Every day I’m around you, I feel like a better version of myself. You make my world a better place. You’ve introduced me to so many great people. You complete me. But knowing I could never be with you, it felt like half of me was always missing. But I’ll never move on. Not matter how much I want to be with you, I can't move on. Because what I have with you, I’ll never have with anyone else. I don't want it with anyone else. And knowing that hurts.” 

I looked down at the seat, feeling my heart shatter into millions of pieces. I had just poured my heart out to my best friend, and now what were we going to do? 

I felt two fingers on my chin, lifting my face up. Looking up, I saw Percy’s eyes and his thumb slowly wiped my tears away. Then, without saying a word, he kissed me. 

I had dreamed about this moment for years. And it was so much better than anything I could have imagined. His lips were soft, gently pressed against mine, our mouths sliding against each other’s like a dream. I sighed, my body going soft and wrapping my arms around his neck. I buried my hands in his hair, and his hands rested around my waist. Our lips fit perfectly, like they were made for each other. 

It seemed too soon that we pulled away, our lungs gasping for air. 

I rested my forehead against his. “Wow,” he breathed. 

I laughed gently. “Yeah, wow.”  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  
Age 21

I walked briskly down the street, my blonde hair whipping in the wind. It was a warm summer night, and I was meeting Percy for our five year anniversary. I was soon welcomed by the warm glow of the restaurant and stepped into the lobby. There stood Percy, looking as handsome as ever in his suit and his hair, still as messy as it was when we were kids. 

“Hey, there you are.” He greeted me with a hug and a quick kiss. “Our table is ready.” He said as he led me through the restaurant. 

He pulled my chair out and I said, “Pulling out all the stops this time, huh? What’s so special this time.”

He scratched the back of his neck and said, “Just, five years is pretty special, right?”

I smiled. “Of course,” 

The rest of the night, we were laughing and teasing each other, eating and having a good time. Afterwords, Percy paid and we left the restaurant to take a walk through Central Park. The trees had beautiful lights strung throughout them and the night was magical. We were all alone when Percy turned me to face him. 

“Annabeth, I have something to ask you.” 

Before I could comprehend what was going on, he dropped to one knee and pulled out a box. 

My hands went to my mouth and I was smiling. 

“Annabeth Chase, ever since we were kids, you have owned my heart. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn’t do for you. You and I, we work so well together, you are so familiar and perfect for me, that I know we must haved loved each other in a previous lifetime. We’re soulmates. I can’t promise that everything will always be perfect, that our whole lives will be rainbows and sunshine. But I can promise that I’ll always be here for you, and I’ll always do my best to make you feel loved, because, Annabeth, you’re a dream come true, and because I want a lifetime with you.”

“So, Annabeth Chase, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?” 

I nodded, too choked up to say anything more than, “Yes.” 

He stood up and slipped the ring on my finger, then pulled me close. 

He kissed me, and it was like kissing him for the first time. No, it was better than kissing him for the first time. One of his hands rested lightly on my neck, the other at my waist. His lips were soft, gently pressing on mine, gradually deepening the kiss. When we broke apart, we were grinning wildly and Percy pressed a kiss on my cheek. 

“Let’s take it slow, ok?”  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

And then everything changed.  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  
Age 25

I sighed and shut the door to our apartment behind me. I had just been up really late working on the plans for my employer and the new bridge he was building, and there was nothing in the world I wanted to do more than go to bed. 

As I flipped on the light in the living room, I sighed in exasperation at the mess that was lying around. 

“Percy, I told you to try to pick up a bit while I was out!” I yelled. Percy came into the living room from the kitchen with an annoyed look on his face. 

“Annabeth, you’re not the only one who’s busy around here. I am too. I’m sorry. But it’s late, and we should just go to bed. We can deal with this in the morning.”

“No, Percy, we can’t deal with this in the morning.” I don't even know why I was yelling, I was just so tired that day. 

“Annabeth, what do you want me to do? I’m not perfect. Why do you keep expecting me to be!” 

“Percy, I don’t want you to be perfect! I just want you to help me out once in awhile since I’m so stressed and pretty busy!” I yelled. 

:Annabeth, I’m busy too. If you could just realize that!-” I cut him off. 

“Fine, whatever. We’ll deal with this in the morning. But right now, I don't think I can be around you.” I said. “I’m crashing with Piper tonight.”

“Annabeth, don't be like this.” Percy said, exasperated. 

“Be like what, Percy? This is exactly what I was talking about. I can’t deal with this right now.” 

“Ok, fine. Leave.”

And that's exactly what I did, slamming the door shut behind me.   
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

I crashed that night at a friend’s house. More than anything I wished I had just swallowed my pride and stayed there with him. I wish I had the courage to tell him he was right. I could be incredibly bossy and proud sometimes. 

I woke up, and I wasn't ready to face the morning yet. I laid in bed until 10, just drinking my coffee and reading my book. Finally, when I was ready to get up, I sat on the couch, and chatted with my friend, Piper. 

Then the doorbell rang. Piper went to answer it, and when she came back, two policemen were trailing after her. 

“Ms. Annabeth Chase?” They asked. 

“Yes?” I replied. 

“You are the fiancee of one Perseus Jackson, correct?” 

“That’s right.” I replied. “What’s going on? What happened to Percy?” 

One of them sighed. “Ma’am, we regret to inform you that your fiance was found dead this morning. He had been killed by a burglar late last night, simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Percy caught him off guard. We apprehended the man, and he is in custody.”

I didn’t move. I didn’t move a muscle. The coffee cup slipped from my hands and crashed to the floor, spraying shards of ceramic and coffee everywhere. I slowly sat back down on the couch. 

Percy, gone? It’s not possible. My Percy could never be gone. 

The reality of the situation crashed in on me, but instead of breaking down and crying, sobbing, screaming at the world, I simply steeled myself against the tears and condolences that were sure to come. 

“When should I start planning the funeral?”   
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

My face was expressionless. Emotionless. I hadn’t cried once since Percy had died. I still haven’t. But I couldn't bring myself to go there, to look at his handsome face, lifeless.

All around, I received hugs, pats on the back, soft words of encouragement. They meant absolutely nothing.There was only one person I wanted right now, and he was lying in the casket in the front of the room. 

I walked up to it. There he was. My Percy, so handsome as always. So perfect, forever mine. I slipped my ring off, placed around the stem of the red rose I gripped in my hand and set that rose gently inside his coffin. I blew him a kiss. “Forever and always, Percy.” 

Lowering the casket into the ground, I finally broke down. Sobbing, screaming, no one tried to stop me. They just came over and held me while I clung to their arms and gripped their shoulders. My entire body shook with sobs, uncontrollably sobbing. And in that moments, my heart broke. Canyoned. Split into two pieces never to join again. 

At home, I found letter waiting for me on the counter. A note stuck to it read, Percy said to give this to you if anything ever happened to him. Please call me soon. Love, Piper. 

Dear Bookworm,

So, something’s happened to me, huh? I’m so sorry, my Annabeth. So sorry for leaving you. I know you’re gonna be great, and I know you’re gonna tell everyone about me. I know you’ll keep me alive in your heart. So let me just list ten ways to tell you I love you. 

1\. I’m a better person because of you  
2\. I’m blessed to have had you  
3\. I adore you  
4\. You are my world  
5\. You inspire me  
6\. You stole my heart  
7\. You’re absolutely wonderful  
8\. You’re perfect for me  
9\. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me  
10\. You’re the only one who made sense of me

So goodbye, my beloved bookworm. Because you and I, we’re meant to be, and we’ll meet again.

Forever and Always,  
Percy  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

I never met anyone, or fell in love again. My love will always be Percy Jackson, and I’m forever his.


	2. Definition: Love

MONDAY  
Annabeth 

I huff as I sit down in my seat, dropping the books on my desk with an obscenely and purposefully loud thunk. 

I flop onto my desk, letting my head fall onto my arms. I’m pretty excited about today’s discussion in English today, but I’ve got no energy right now. 

The rest of the class files in, and our teacher, Ms. Loret raps her pointer onto the desk, drawing our attention to her. She’s a young, smart, intelligent, and beautiful woman, who’s kind and a great teacher. She’s my favorite. 

She gives a wide smile to the class. “Ok guys. As I’m sure you’ve heard, today is our discussion on Romeo and Juliet. As you know, we will be interpreting the story as a whole today. Those who believe it is reckless, on the left, and those who believe it is beautiful, on the right.”

I make a move to the left side of the classroom. About half the class follows me. The other half stays behind on the right. 

Ms. Loret looks around with a bright smile on her face. “That’s what I thought would happen. A half and half split. Now, I assume you have each prepared your materials?” 

Without waiting for a smile, she smiles at me. “Ok, Annabeth, as I told you, you are the leader for the con side. Please present your opening statement.”

I take a deep breath and stand up. Smiling, I say, “Thank you. I don’t need to tell you guys too much about our opinion. Our group believes that Romeo & Juliet is a cautionary tale about stupidity and shallow lust. Using various example, we will prove this today in class.”

I sit back down. 

Ms. Loret nods to the other side. “Lilly, please present your side’s opening.” 

Lilly Meyer, a pretty brunette, stands up and smiles. She’s ok. I don't know her that well. 

“Thank you. Our group doesn't believe that of Romeo & Juliet. It’s a beautiful tragedy about poisonous hatred that is conquered by love. It’s a tragic story of two people who loved each other and had to suffer for their feelings.” She sits back down. 

“Ok guys. Your turn.” Mr. Loret says, hopping on a desk and sitting back to watch us debate. 

I stand up immediately. “We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet even before we read the book. Star-crossed lovers brought together by ‘fate’. But, think about it. Is it solely by the fact that they are from warring families that draws Romeo and Juliet together? Would they have still been in love had they not be from feuding families?”

A boy on the other side stands up, blonde, all-American. “Can you dictate fate, though? Can you be sure? Of course, the circumstances of their families did usher in something, but once two people fall in love, especially these two, isn’t it more like true love?”

Piper scoffs next to me, stands and says, “Tell that to Romeo. He goes to the party, the party where he meets Juliet, for another girl. Once he sees Juliet, he completely forgets about her.”

I nod. “Exactly. Romeo doesn't know the meaning of true love, and in thinking that he and Juliet truly love each other, he causes them both to die, sealing their unhappy ending.”

Lilly stands up. “But, they are also teenagers, and teenagers are not known to make the best of decisions. You cannot blame the entire thing on those two. They’re our age! Haven't you guys even done something completely rash, but you haven't regretted it in the end?” She says, looking around. I see people nodding. 

Lilly continues. “It’s not only their fault.”

I stand up, interrupting her. “Juliet says herself that it isn’t a good idea for them to meet. Act 2, Scene 2.”

I have no joy of this contact tonight  
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,  
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be   
Ere one can say “It lightens.”

I finish. I smile, obviously proud of myself. However, someone from the other side stands up. 

Percy Jackson. I narrow my eyes at him. We cannot agree on anything. Not since we were in sixth grade. 

“You can’t deny that what they feel for one another is something deeper. There’s a reason why Juliet is attracted to Romeo, and not her parents’ choice, Paris.”

I cross my arms. “Please, do share.”

“They are attracted to one another. Sure, it might have happened a bit fast, but it boils down to the fact that these are two young people, at the time of their youth, falling in love. We have to remember that in Verona back then, people did not live too long. These guys don't have time to sit around and wait.” Percy retorts. 

“But their self absorbed actions cause their deaths.” I fire back. “They brought upon their own demise.” 

Percy laughs dryly. “Way to take a dark turn there, Annabeth. You can’t deny that teenagers are self-absorbed sometimes. Not all, but quite a bit are. And that’s ok. It’s all part of growing up.”

“Why didn’t Juliet choose Paris? He was obviously the better choice for her. Her parents approved, and he would have treated her well.” I jab, my hands clenching into fists from anger and passion. 

“Because she wasn’t attracted to him. It’s as simple as that. We cannot even begin to understand what draws us to a certain person over all others. But Romeo and Juliet loved each other.”

“That’s not true. She could have learned to love Paris. Romeo and Juliet both acted incredibly irresponsibly, and they were in the presence of many people who told them that this was a bad idea. The Nurse, for example, and Friar Laurence, both disapproved of their relationship. They should have listened to them.”

Percy rolls his eyes. “And when was the last time you heard about teenagers listening to what was best for them? They were going to make their own decisions no matter what. But in the end, their love ended the feud that had poisoned Verona for centuries.” 

I’m about to fire back when Ms. Loret claps her hands and jumps down from sitting on the desk. “Ok! Great debate guys! Pack up your things. The bell will ring in five minutes.” She nods at Percy and me. 

“You two, please stay after class.”

I’m immediately nervous. Did I go too far? Was I too passionate?

I pack up my stuff and get wait for the bell to ring. Once it does, I walk up to Ms. Loret’s desk, my hands tightly clutching my books. Percy stands next to me, an identical look on his face as mine. 

Ms. Loret looks up from her papers and smiles. “Well, that certainly had to be the most interesting discussion on R&J that I’ve ever seen. Both of you had such passion, while sticking to the facts. It was quite a spectacle to watch.”

Seeing the confused look on Percy’s face, I add, “She means it was a good show we put on.”

Percy’s face clears up as he grins. “Thanks.”

Ms. Loret shuffles her papers on her desk. “I’ve never done this before, but I was thinking about it and I thought, what if we make the rest of our discussions this year debates? We were going to have quite a bit of them anyway, and they are all debatable topics.”

We both nod. The entire class loves English, and we love to have debates. “But where do we come in?” I ask. 

Ms. Loret smiles. “I want you two to led the debates. I know you two don't agree on anything, and I think watching you two argue was about the most interesting thing the class had seen all year. In the event you do agree on a topic, someone else will take your place, but I’m almost 100% sure that won't happen. What do you say?”

Percy frowns. “You want us to lead the discussions?” 

Ms. Loret nods. “That’s correct.”

I eagerly nod. “Sure.” 

Percy smirks. “Wow, teacher’s pet much?” 

“Percy, what do you say?” 

He scratches the back of his neck. “Ok. I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful.” Ms. Loret says, clapping her hands together. “Our next discussion is scheduled for this Friday, and it’s about who is at fault in the tragedy and death of Romeo and Juliet. I want you two to spend sometime together to prepare your arguments.”

I nod and Ms. Loret waves goodbye, signalling it’s time for me to get out of the room. 

When I step outside, Piper is waiting for me, along with Percy’s best friends, Jason and Grover. 

I flash him a glare. “Meet you at the library after school tomorrow?” He send me a grin. 

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

TUESDAY  
Percy

I walk into the library, ruffling my hair as I run up the stairs, my bag clunking against me body. I actually can't believe I’m meeting the girl who I’ve liked since we were in sixth grade. I know she’ll never like me, but hopefully I can convince her to be a little less hard-hearted. 

When I walk in, she’s right there, paper spread out around her table, her hair pulled back, with a few strands falling out to frame her face.

My breath hitches. She’s so pretty. 

I walk over. “Hey.”

She looks up. “Good. You’re on time. Let’s get started.”

She clears the table of papers, and I sit down across from her. 

“Ok.” I begin. “You start. Who do you believe is responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet?”

“Who else? Romeo and Juliet.”

I roll my eyes. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Juliet is so indecisive. In the same scene, she talks about how they shouldn’t meet, and then twenty lines later, she’s going on about how much she loves him. She knows what they are doing is wrong, yet she chooses to ignore it. And don’t get me started on Romeo. One day, he’s proclaiming about how much he loves one girl, then one day, a single day later, he’s in love with a completely different girl. I mean, what really is love? What is the definition of love? Can you give me one?” Annabeth rants, stopping to finally catch a breath. 

“You can’t blame them too much though. They are teenagers. Don’t you think the adults of the play shouldn’t have been more responsible? I mean, look at Friar Laurence. He’s basically a English version of season 1 Andy Dwyer. He means well, but he’s got no idea of consequences and actions. His inability to warn Romeo of Juliet’s fake death is what caused Romeo to think Juliet was dead and commit suicide, and you know what happens after that. And don't get me started on their parents. They don't even know what the feud is about and they’re fighting for no reason. ” I say, with equal conviction.

She sighs. “Why can’t you see that I’m right?”

“Uh, I think I’m the right one here.” I counter. 

Rubbing my eyes, I stand up and pack up my bag. “You know what? I want to show you something. Come on.”

She shakes her head. “No way. I’ve got so much stuff to get done. I don’t have time.”

“Come on.” I plead.

She rolls her eyes and gives in. “Fine. But let me pack up first.”

She quickly gathers her stuff and places it in her bag.

I lead her to my car. “Did you bring your car?” I ask. 

She nods and points to a grey car parked in the back. 

“Alright. Once I finish showing you what I want to, then I’ll take you back here.” I say, already walking to my car. 

She jogs to keep up with me. “Just where exactly are we going?”

I offer her a smile. “It’s a surprise.” She rolls her eyes. 

“Percy, you barely talk to me. For all I know you could be luring me out to a swampy lake to kill me and dump my body.”

I raise my hands in surrender. “Wow, that took a dark turn quick.”

“Whatever.” She grumbles. 

I toss my bag into the back seat and take hers. “Here, let me.” I carefully place it behind on the floor of the car so it doesn’t get damaged. 

I climb in, and she takes the passenger seat. “Look, what are you showing me?” She asks, for the seventh time. 

“I’m not telling you. All I can say is that it could change the way you see Romeo and Juliet.”

She scoffs and looks out the window, crossing her arms. “As if. I’ve made up my mind.”

“Trust me, I know how stubborn you are. Probably as much as I am. But I think I can show you something, and if it doesn’t change your mind, not even in the slightest, then I won’t bug you about it anymore.”

Her lips quirk up into a smile, and I think I forget how to breath.”I’ll take that.”

Tightening my grip on the wheel, I steel my eyes back on the road, trying not to focus on her dazzling smile.

Finally, we reach my destination. 

As she gets out, she looks around. “Wow, I was right about you Percy. You brought me to this marsh to kill me and dump my body.”

“Oh yeah, exactly. Then I’d have to do all the homework by myself. Not happening.”

“There. Look.” I point. One the marsh, just a bit of a distance away, a pair of swans. Their necks form the classic heart shape.

Annabeth rolls her eyes. “You brought me here to show me something I can see on a Hallmark card?”

“No. I brought you here to tell you something you can’t get from a Hallmark Card. Do you know why swans are seen as the birds of love?”

She shakes her head.

“Swans mate for life. Like many humans, they enjoy being with one other individual only. However, there’s a difference. When a swan’s partner dies, they also will literally die of a broken heart, for they cannot live without their love.”

“And how is this supposed to change my opinion?”

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. “That’s the thing, Annabeth. Can’t you see how much swan’s love each other? So much they die from heartbreak. Don’t you think humans are capable of loving another at the same level?”

She looks at the water and her eyes soften. “Maybe.”

She has never looked as beautiful as she does now, her eyes glinting with a sliver of hope in love, for the first time in years.

 

WEDNESDAY  
Annabeth

I trudge through the hallway with a sappy smile on my face. Ironic, right? Ever since Percy took me to see the swans, I couldn’t stop thinking about them.

Ever since my mother died, and my father remarried, I ‘d lost all hope in love. That was part of the reason why I struggled so much to understand why Romeo and Juliet would do such things. 

But seeing the swans made me realize that my parents had loved each other, once upon a time. Maybe I could find that too;. 

Wait-what? I shake my head. I’m getting clouded by this. I can’t let thoughts of Percy distract me from crushing him on Friday.

I shoulder my bag once more, keeping it steady on my body. 

I hear footsteps behind me, and without turning around I know who it is. “Hey Piper.” I say, glancing at her. 

“Annabeth, is everything ok?” She asks, her footsteps falling into rhythm with mine. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Confused, I look at her, and she has an odd look on her face. 

“You just were way happier than usual today, so I was wondering if something was up.”

My face tints a slight pink when I realize she’s talking about me acting happy because of Percy. 

Piper sighs at the look on my face. “I knew it. It’s him, right? The boy, Percy Jackson.”

“No, of-of course it’s not that.” I stammer out. She lifts an eyebrow and I can see she’s easily unconvinced. 

“At least try to make an attempt at lying smoothly next time.” She says. “Annabeth, even I can see you’re head over heels for this by. It’s not good. You’re falling in love with our enemy. You are Juliet!” She says, taking me by the shoulders and forcing me to look her in the eyes. 

I brush Piper’s hands off. “I am not acting like Juliet. I have my head on straight. I know what I’m doing. It was just odd to be proven wrong.” Piper smirks. “I’m sure it was. But, Annabeth, you do know what you are doing, right?” 

I nod. “Trust me, Pipes, I’m fine. I know I can beat him easily on Friday.” I give her a smile and wave before I go to meet Percy at the library. 

Walking in, I see him at the table, papers spread out in front of him. His hair is mussed even more than usual, his shirt rumpled. Despite all of that, he’s still the most attractive person I’ve ever met. 

I walk over to him and drop my stuff down on the floor. “Hey.” I say, sitting down across from him. He looks up, and his face breaks out in a small smile. “Hey. Ready to get to work?” He asks. I nod, and pull my stuff out of my bag. 

Spreading my papers out on the table, I once again begin to debate with him. “I just don’t understand the quick progression of their relationship. Even Juliet herself says they're moving too fast, so why does she allow it to continue?” I ask him. 

He argues back, “Because this was Italy in the late 1500s. People didn’t live very long. They thought that a thirty-five year old man was extremely old, and should be a grandfather. Juliet’s mother got married at fourteen! So you can’t blame them for rushing their relationship. It’s also the circumstances in which the are subjected to that cause them to make the decisions that they do.” I nod. 

“Impressive rebuttal.” I say, nodding. “Alright, my turn. Time to see the impressive Annabeth Chase in action. Why is Romeo more responsible for the death of him and his lover?” Percy asks me. 

“Because he didn’t have to lash out at Tybalt for killing Mercutio like that. Yes, I understand that Mercutio was his best friend. But Romeo was already a crazy guy. He furthered the problem by killing Tybalt then getting himself banished from Verona. By getting himself banished, he put forth the motion of events that led to his death; Juliet’s fake death, his belief that she really did die, his suicide, her discovery of his body, and her suicide. He caused so much more trouble than what it was worth.” I finish. 

Percy sends me a heart-stopping grin. “I think we’re done. Hey, since we still have one more day left, I have a proposal for you.” 

“Yeah?” I say, packing my bag full of my papers. “I was wondering if you wanted to go on a little trip with me tomorrow. To kill time.”

“Sure.” I say. “What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking i could show you one of my favorite places to see the sunset. I’ll pick you up at 5?” He asks. 

“Sounds good. I’ll text you my address.” I say, picking up my phone and bag. I give him a smile and walk out. “See you tomorrow.”

THURSDAY  
Percy

“Hey,” She says as she climbs in my car. She looks stunning, even though all she’s wearing is a simple shirt and leggings. 

“Hey back.” I say, giving her a grin. I start the car. “So what’s so special about this place?” She asks me. 

“It’s where my dad used to take me before he passed away. It was kinda like our spot. We would run and have fun there, and it was the place that he took me the day he died.” I explain, keeping my eyes on the road. 

“I’m sorry.” Annabeth says softly. 

I risk a glance at her. “What for? You didn’t do anything. Plus, I got to spend my dad’s last moments with him, and for that I’m grateful.”

She smiles and faces the front of the car, silent for the rest of the rise. It takes an hour to drive there, and when we get out of the car she stares up at the giant rock structure looming above her. “I didn’t know we would be climbing a mountain.”

“Why? Is that ok?” I ask her. She looks at me and smirks. “It’s fine. I just didn’t wear my climbing shoes.” 

I trek up the mountain, Annabeth close behind me. “It’s not too far to the top only a fifteen minute walk up.” I call. 

“No problem.” She answers, right behind me. I smile and continue. Once we reach the top, I sit down on the meadow and start pulling out the daisies in the grass. Annabeth sits down next to me and fiddle with the gras, running it between her fingers.

“Any second now.” i say, waiting for the sun. Just as I say it, the sun begins to set behind the mountains a little ways off, turning the entire field into a light display. Yellows, pinks, oranges, blues, and even purples splatter the sky, making it a wonderful spectacle. I stand up, pulling Annabeth up with me. 

“Wow.” She says, staring in wonder at the sight. 

“Impressive, isn’t it?” I say, still mesmerized. 

“Yeah.” She says turning to face me. “It’s really something. You know, so are you, Percy.”

“Me?” I say, turning to face her. “So are you.” She gives me a soft smile, and I swear, I have never loved anyone as much as I love this girl right now. I reach a tentative hand out, brushing away the blonde tendrils that fall to her face. 

My hand goes to her cheek and I step forward. I meet her eyes, asking a silent question. Almost imperceptibly, she gives a tiny nod. I step even closer and tilt her face up to meet mine. Her eyes flutter closed and I lean forward, gently pressing my lips against her. What I didn’t expect was her response. She kisses me back slowly, sending sparks through my body. Her fingers curl into my shirt and pull me closer. I wrap my arms around her waist and deepen the kiss. All of a sudden, she pulls away, her eyes swirling with emotion. 

“What’s wrong?” I say, tightening my arms around her. She pulls away, shaking her head. “No, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I wasn’t supposed to-” she breaks off, shaking her head. 

“What? Wasn’t supposed to feel this way?” I say. “Because I like you a lot Annabeth. And I don’t want to push you, but I do want to hear something from you. Why are you so afraid of loving someone. Why is it you won’t answer me, even after what happened. After I just told you.”

“Don’t act like a jerk Percy!” She yells. “You know this is hard for me. I don’t know how I feel. This is really confusing.” She storms away. 

“No, Annabeth, I don’t want to push you. I just want an explanation as to why you are so afraid.”

She turns to me. “I can’t give you one right now Percy. I’m sorry.” 

With that, she turns and storms off. The rest of the car ride is in silence, and when I drop her off back at her house, she turns and slams the door behind her. I’m left staring at her door, and regretting everything that I said. 

FRIDAY  
Annabeth

This was officially the worst and best week of my life. I met Percy, and got to know him, which was amazing. But then I pushed him away, which was horrible. And now I have to go against him in this debate, especially one about love. I don’t know if I can do it. 

I take a deep breath and push open the door to English. There, instantly, our eyes meet. Funny how that happens, isn’t it? I walk into the room and duck my head down, staring the the tops of my scruffy converse as the squeak against the tiled floor. 

“Annabeth?” A soft voice calls. I look up from gathering my materials and Ms. Loret is standing in front of me, a worried expression on her face, “Hon, are you ok? You didn’t look so hot when you walked in the room.”

“I’m fine. Just nervous.” I lie, but she doesn’t look convinced. Nevertheless, she nods and walks away. 

I finish gathering my materials as the class divides into two. I sit on one end and try to ignore Percy on the other, but I know I’m going to have to face him eventually. 

“Alright class. Let’s get started on our discussion of who’s to blame.” Ms. Loret starts the time and the first people begin to talk. It’s my turn at the end, but I tune out for the rest of the debate, enveloped in thoughts of Percy.

I’m shook back to the reality by Piper. “Hey, Annabeth, it’s your turn.”

I stand up and take a deep breath. “Noon is more at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet then the title characters themselves.” I ramble on about how the actions caused their demise, but it’s like my mouth can carry on it’s own, since I am not aware of a single word I am saying, only fixated on Percy. When I finish, Ms. Loret gestures that it is time for Percy to go.

“Romeo and Juliet are amongst the bravest character in Shakespeare’s literature. Against all odd, the two characters fell in love, which can be quite the scariest thing to do. They were not afraid of love, or of admitting their feelings for one another.” Percy looks me straight in the eyes. “How can we blame them for doing something we all wish we could do everyday? Admitting our true feelings to others. Juliet and Romeo may act harshly, but they never lie about how they feel to one another. They are brave, steadfast, and courageous in their love. In the end, their love even ended the toxic feud between the Montagues and the Capulets that had plagued Verona for centuries. You cannot blame them for their own demise.” He finishes. 

Ms. Loret stares at him before clapping. “Well, let’s give a massive round of applause to our debaters today. I’d have to say this round has to go to Percy. What do you guys think?” Percy’s entire side, or course, agrees. And so do I. 

“Well.” ms. Loret says, “It looks like Percy wins this round.” Just then, the bell rings, and I pack up and shuffle out of class, my mind still dazed by what Percy said. 

As I’m going to my locker to put my books away before lunch, a text chimes on my phones. From Percy. It reads, Please meet me where I took you yesterday. I need to talk. If you don’t show by 5:30, I’ll assume you don’t want to talk to me. I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Please. I need to talk.~Percy. 

I stare at the text before pocketing my phone. I’ve already made up my mind. I head to lunch, where I sit with Piper and open my lunch box. “Annabeth, you’re really distracted today. What the hell happened with Percy yesterday?” She asks. 

“Nothing,” I say, taking a bite out of my sandwich. Piper grabs me by the shoulders and looks me dead in the eye. “Annabeth Chase, it is most certainly not something. Tell me NOW.” I tell her everything that happened with Percy and show her the text. 

“Annabeth! What are you saying. You’re not gonna see him? What!” She shakes me. 

“Ok, wait, wasn’t it you who less than two days ago was telling me not to be around him?” I say, shaking my head. “Well that was before what happened today and what you told me. Annabeth, that boy is clearly head over heels in love with you, why aren’t you going to see him? Trust me, if you don’t I promise you, you will regret it.” She says.

I sigh. “I don’t know if I can face him.” Piper rubs her temples. “Annabeth, suck it up and go. You can do it. Just go and talk to him.” I give in. “Fine.”

That afternoon, I go to visit the place that Percy brought me to yesterday. Climbing up the hill, I can see his figure, with his back turned to me. I go and sit beside him. 

“Hey.” I say softly. He looks over and gives me a small smile. “Hey back.”

“I’m here. What’s up?” I say stiffly, still not looking at him. Percy grabs my hand, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Annabeth.” He begins. He takes a deep breath.

“Annabeth.” He begins again. “I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to push you to admitting things. I should have given you space, and all I can say is how sorry I am that I didn’t. Look, Annabeth, I have liked you from the moment that I met you in sixth grade. But you never noticed me until this year. And when you did, I fell harder for you than ever before. And I’m so sorry for pushing you.” He finished. 

I open my mouth to speak. “Ever since I lost my mom, I had been afraid to love. I closed myself off from the emotion, believing it made me weak. But you shattered that, Percy. You made me feel stronger and better, and when I realized I was falling in love with you, I became so scared, and I didn’t know what to do. But I realize that because I love you, I’m a better person. So, thank you for teaching me that.”

He smiles. “We’re like a screwed up version of Romeo and Juliet, huh?” I laugh. “Yeah. Except we’re not going to die.”

“Nope.” He says, taking my face in his hands. He leans in and presses his lips against mine, and the feeling is so good, like returning home again. I melt into the kiss, my hands running through his hair, over his jawline, every detail of his perfect face so I would never forget it. I can’t stop kissing ism, and i only allow him a few seconds to get air before I kiss him again, pressing myself closer to him. He smiles against my lips and pulls away, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. 

“You’re perfect, you know that?” He says. 

“You too.” I answer. 

“Remember when you asked me for a definition to love?” He asks. I nod. “This is it. Sitting here with you and watching the sunset. This is what love means for us.


End file.
